North Hollywood: Census outreach amidst growing government distrust
The colorful Art District, the famous Circus Liquor and the endless restaurants along Lankershim Blvd. are now ghostly remnants of an eccentric city known for its nightlife and hipster hangout spots. Despite its promising nightlife, North Hollywood may be facing a growing distrust in government, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it could affect the 2020 Census data.
“Over the past couple of months, the government has been misleading about the severity of the issue and now people are questioning their approach. I’ve lost trust in the government but not to the point where I purposely wouldn’t want to complete the census. You have to have faith in the system.” said NoHo resident Omari Tobin-Martinez, an essential labor worker.
In 2010 the Census Bureau reported that North Hollywood had a 66% self-response rate, which compared to other cities isn’t that bad. Over the last few months census outreach has become increasingly difficult due to the unprecedented events taking place globally, which in turn created distrust of the government. Millions are unemployed, lack healthcare and food security, so why does the census even matter?
The data collected from the census determines how federal funds are dispersed and allocated among different communities. When unforeseeable events, such as the quarantine, happen, it’s helpful when communities have the adequate resources such as shelters, food banks and clinics. A majority of funding new resources and maintaining them comes from the census.
“I don’t think the current administration is well prepared for a pandemic and our local governments are doing more for us than the current administration,” said Jose Portillo, a NoHo resident.
The city’s local government has taken several measures to prevent families from losing financial stability but many wonder if things can even go back to normal after the quarantine is lifted. According to the previous census, about 18% of residents live below the poverty line, which is about 20% higher than the rate in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Anaheim. Without accurate counts, the city won’t be allocated the proper funds to help those in danger of or at the poverty line, which could increase during the pandemic.
With that being said, the census’ multimedia campaign briefly explains the benefits of participating but doesn’t explain the benefits in the context of the current situation.
“A lot of our outreach is now online,” said Viviana Gutierrez, an intern at the Los Angeles Regional Office, “We try to be as engaging as we can, whether it’s on social media or on TV. The issue is getting people to pay attention to us because now all they want to hear about is coronavirus.”
With coronavirus being aggregated on everyone’s social media, news and more , how does the city plan on addressing the fears many might have?
Gutierrez said, “It’s been the center of a lot of our meetings with community organizers. We want to reassure people that we’re looking out for their best interests.”
Let’s face it. The census might not be a match for the ongoing pandemic, who expects it to be? Gutierrez spoke about the city’s plans on shifting their focus on how the census will come into play months after the quarantine is lifted. She emphasized that the key to obtaining more accurate response rates is reassuring the community that there aren’t any consequences for being truthful and in fact more schools, libraries and resources come from it. The data from the census will decide how much vaccine funding a city can get and how it can alleviate a majority of stress if another pandemic was to come.
“We’re not seeing that people have lost faith in us and we want to do our best to maintain that. Our biggest challenge is getting the attention of someone who has bigger issues at hand,” said Gutierrez.
COVID-19 has brought a lot of attention to the federal government and their procedures have led many to question their ethics and duty protecting the well-being of the people they serve. Despite having lost trust, NoHo residents continue to participate and encourage others to do the same. During a global pandemic, millions have just realized the importance of vital resources as they’re using them more now than ever. This newfound appreciation serves as the driving force behind this year’s census participation and this year’s campaigning.
